Make or Break
by The Crystal Pen
Summary: Tsuna has fallen in debt to a neighboring mafia family after moving from his home at age 20. Now working as a dog for the Pravus family, he has no idea of the troubles he's causing for the families called Vongola and Varia. Mild AllxTsuna. Eventual X27.
1. Becoming a Dog

A/N: Wow. This is my first upload in so long... I'm afraid I've forgotten how to write. I've been wanting so long to just type my ideas and stories but two jobs, personal reasons, and laziness has made it nearly impossible. But I'm very happy I started writing again. Hopefully this habit will continue. :)

This was also supposed to be a one-shot but I decided to stretch it out into several small chapters that I will be uploading every day because ain't no one got that good of an attention span.

 _Summary: Tsuna has fallen into debt to a neighboring mafia family after moving from his home at age 20. (Un)Luckily, Tsuna's sweet nature attracts the local mafia's boss' son. X/27._

 **Chapter 1 - Becoming a Dog**

Tsunayoshi Sawada is a twenty two year old cashier for a grocery store who is also horrible at his job. He has trouble remembering produce codes and is on his last legs at his work. Tsuna cannot afford to lose his part-time, low-paying job. He did not have any special talents, interests, or skills to work anything else than retail. His job barely gave him enough to live off of. He had moved out of his mothers house two years ago to try to live on his own which was quite a stupid thing to do with hardly any money saved up and no work experience.

About a year ago, his landlord had decided to raise his rent for almost no reason. Tsuna had tried to fight this, but lost horridly. Months later, he had spent whatever he had left in his savings account to afford his home. He had almost became homeless a few months ago if it wasn't for a man in an ally who offered him some money.

Now, approaching a shady looking man with a red mohawk, piercings on his face, a few tattoos visible on his neck and arms while dressed in a black suit, offering him money in an ally seemed like the dumbest thing a person could do but Tsuna had been both dumb and desperate. Not only did he approach this man, but he had also accepted his deal. The deal was he could borrow 610,000 yen from this man's boss and either accept a small job for 12,200 yen as repayment and/or pay them back himself.

Tsuna had been wary about all that money but soon found out that it would only take fifty jobs to repay them. He didn't know what the jobs would be but Ruairi-san, the shady looking man with the red mohawk, had assured him that he wouldn't be working any too illegal jobs because of how pathetic he was and getting caught would not do well for business. Tsuna had pouted for a few minutes after being told this, to which Ruairi-san slapped him over the head and told him to act like a man.

So far, Tsuna had only given back a pathetic 12,600 yen to Ruairi-san to take back to his boss. Unfortunately, this was over a timespan of a couple of months. His low-pay job and high-rent had made it almost impossible to live moderately and repay what he owed.

When Tsuna asked his... acquaintance who exactly his boss was over a glass of Ruairi-san's favorite glass of carrot and mango juice over at Tsuna's apartment, Ruairi-san answered, "He is the head of the Pravus Mafia family that I am a part of. Which makes you our dog."

"Hiiee!" Tsuna knew that Ruairi-san was in some shady business but wasn't expecting him to be part of a mafia. And now he was also a part of it- as a dog no less.

Just what had he gotten himself into?


	2. Meeting the Boss

A/N: Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have promised every day but rather every day where I actually have time to work on this. I had a bit of trouble writing this chapter but hopefully it isn't too obvious.

 **Chapter 2 - Meeting the Boss**

One week later, Ruairi-san had pulled up to his apartment by motorcycle at 10am when Tsuna had his day off and had been sleeping. Ruairi-san had splashed cold water on him and told him to go take a shower and look presentable because his boss wanted to meet his new dog.

He had gotten ready in half and hour and Ruairi-san had shoved him out the door before he could grab any breakfast. The ride to wherever Ruairi-san was taking him, had been a terrifying but thrilling experience.

"I'm just impressed you didn't fall off and die," Ruairi-san chuckled while Tsuna stood on shaking legs. He composed himself and saw that he was at a very expensive modern house.

His escort had pulled him to a gate, where two scary guards stood at either side, watching them as the gate opened allowing them inside the compound.

Once inside, Tsuna immediately stuck close to Ruairi-san. There were many dangerous looking men lounging inside, some smoking, others cleaning their knives or... guns. Tsuna gulped and kept his eyes to the floor and followed closely.

Ruairi-san had taken him to a clean medium-sized room with three couches, a coffee table, and guns hanging in glass covers on the walls. It was very cool but also very scary. Ruairi-san told him to sit down and wait while he knocked on a door straight ahead.

Tsuna nodded and slowly sat down. He had wanted to look at all the guns on the wall. Two minutes later, Ruairi-san opened the door and with a cock to his head, invited him in.

The boss was a scary man around 30 years old and the definition of a gangster. He had a half shaven head, tattoos of a dragon, shark, and tiger, piercings on his face, a scowl, and very muscular. Tsuna had no doubt that the man could beat him up with both arms tied behind his back and blind-folded.

His new boss sat on a chair behind a messy desk, a full ashtray to the side of it and an unconscious woman hugging an alcoholic bottle on the couch to the side.

Ruairi-san placed his strong hand on his back and forced him to bow, "This is Sawada Tsunayoshi, your new dog."

The boss' glare forced Tsuna's to advert. "So you're the pathetic piece of crap who's repaid me nothing in months. You're lucky you agreed to be a dog or you would have been in a shallow grave right now."

Tsuna couldn't help but flinch to which Ruairi-san squeezed his shoulder. Did he do that comfort him or to keep him still?

"Alright, dog, how fast can you run?" The boss asked. Ruairi-san had let go of his shoulder and he was allowed to stand straight.

"Not very fast. I can run one mile in twelve minutes."

The boss' glare deepened.

"How strong are you?"

"I can only pick up fifty pounds."

His eye twitched.

"Connections?"

"What?"

His boss exhaled deeply and looked ready to kill him. "So you're not fast or strong, you're stupid as hell, and you're asking to be a dog? Ruairi, what the fuck were you thinking bringing him here?"

"He is all those things, yes, but he's also small and easily-looked over. He's pathetic for more in-depth jobs but I think he'd be okay for covert ones."

The boss looked him over slowly and reluctantly nodded. "One job, maggot, and if you fail it, you'll go under, got it?"

Tsuna flinched and stood straight, arms to his sides, "Y-yes, sir!"


	3. An EXTREME Job

A/N: Oh yeah, chapter 3! This one was really fun to write. I loved writing Ryohei. I had so much fun, I went overboard with the page numbers. Haha, now that it isn't a one-shot, I'm free to include however much detail I want.

 **Chapter 03 - An EXTREME Job**

After meeting his new boss and learning his first name, Trux, he also learned that the name of the family he was indebted to was the boss' surname, Pravus.

Three days later, Tsuna had successfully completed one job for his scary boss. It wasn't particularly hard and Ruairi-san assured him he wouldn't be doing anything illegal or at least, anything _too_ illegal. Since meeting the boss of the Pravus family, Ruairi-san began teaching him new skills like how to pick certain types of locks, basic lip reading, pick pocketing, how to know if you're being followed or watched, and other things that only a criminal would know. He also wasn't allowed to know in-depth detail about any of the jobs. Just the basics of how to do the jobs but don't get caught, be quick, and don't interact with the targets.

His second job had him in a gym. Ruairi-san had paid for a month membership for Tsuna and taught him how to pick different types of locks -which was very cool- and Tsuna was to go in at night and watch a twenty-three year old, white haired, muscular, boisterous man yell as he punched things, whether it be bags, air, or people. He had learned most of his schedule and where his locker was so far. Again, he was told not to interact with him but the "EXTREME" man had approached him his third night there and told him to gain more muscle so he could train with him.

The man introduced himself as Sasagawa Ryohei but insisted Tsuna call him big brother and he had forced Tsuna to get under some weights and lift while Ryohei spotted and yelled "supporting and encouraging" things at him. His extreme yelling had spooked Tsuna and he lost his grip and the weights collided onto his chest, choking him for a few seconds before Ryohei easily lifted it back on the bar.

Then, Ryohei had forced him to run on the eighth highest speed on a treadmill for three minutes before Tsuna tripped from exhaustion and rolled off the device.

The personal training had gone on for two more hours before Tsuna had to excuse himself to go home and treat his wounds and dignity. He had been feeling a bit put off by how out of shape he was compared to the athlete as he left but he heard the man call him to stop.

Tsuna turned back to see Sasagawa-san running full speed at him, "Eh, big brother, what is it?"

"TSUNA! WAIT!" Ryohei kept running towards him and Tsuna's slow reflexes didn't get him out of the way in time to dodge the 185 pound man of pure muscle. They both harshly collided against each other and landed, groaning on the floor.

"TSUNA-SAN! I'm so sorry that I pushed you TO THE EXTREME! Please don't feel discouraged to come back! I know that you're only a beginner and it's hard to keep up work out habits! PLEASE ACCEPT THIS AS AN APOLOGY!" Ryohei-san had dropped to his knees in front of him and in his hand was a cold 14oz chocolate flavored protein shake bottle.

Tsuna gratefully accepted the bottle and took a swig of the cold drink, "Thank you, big brother, but it's okay. I know that I'm out of shape-"

"JUST PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP!" Ryohei's scream made him jump and when he lifted his head, his eyes were filled with passion. "I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FORGIVE MYSELF IF YOU GAVE UP TRYING TO IMPROVE YOURSELF BECAUSE OF ME! I KNOW THAT I'M INTENSE-"

"It's okay, really!" Tsuna interrupted him. "I'll be back in two nights, okay? I know I'll be sore tomorrow so I'm taking a day off to heal. And when I come back I'll be better than ever."

Ryohei-san's large optimistic smile was contagious, "EXTREME! And we'll train together, right? But, I'll take it easier on you okay?"

"Yes, thank you." Tsuna gave him one of his own large grateful smiles. Ryohei-san picked him up off the ground, waved at him, and ran back in the gym.

* * *

Ruairi-san had seen everything from inside his black and red mustang. He had a lit cigarette in his mouth and he did not look pleased when Tsuna got in and buckled himself up. Tsuna was nervous because he knew he didn't follow the mission rules and would be punished for getting caught interacting with the target.

"What were the rules to this mission?" Ruairi-san asked him after a minute of silence and smoking.

"Ah, um, be quick, stealthy, and... don't interact with the target..." Tsuna recited pathetically, bowing his head. Ruairi-san exhaled his cigarette and without warning slammed his fist against his head three times.

"Ah! Ow! Ow! OW!" Ruairi-san's fists forced Tsuna's head down and with each hit, the brunet's nose collided painfully against the dashboard. "Ah, I'm sorry Ruairi-san..."

The red-headed mohawk man glanced at him with displeased eyes and started the engine.

"The targets and us are not friends here, Sawada. You cannot interact with the them not just because we need information on them but to keep you safe. You are part of a family now. A dog in the family, but nonetheless you will be slightly protected. And we will not protect those who disregard our rules and throw themselves into danger.

"I will not tell the boss about this but your next night is the final one, we can't risk Sasagawa getting to know more about you. Make sure he is distracted before moving on with the plan. And do your job correctly or we'll have to cut you off."

Tsuna dejectedly nodded, rubbing his injuries as Ruairi-san pulled away from the gym and drove him home.

He couldn't help but think: ' _Just who is Sasagawa Ryohei? And why was Pravus family so interested in him? Was he part of a family too?'_

* * *

Two nights later, Tsuna signed into the gym and looked around for Ryohei. He was lifting some heavy looking weights with other strong looking men at the back of the gym. Seeing him win against his competitors had really given Tsuna hope that one day he could be as strong or nearly as strong as Ryohei-san was.

With that, he started towards the treadmills and began running at a leisure pace.

Some time later, there was a small commotion between many of the large men. Tsuna had gotten off of the treadmill and followed behind the crowd. They were all heading towards a different room in the gym and in the center was a boxing ring. In the ring, was Ryohei-san in boxing gear and another gym member also in boxing gear, swinging at each other. The match was intense as both members dodged each other's jabs and punches before Ryohei-san unleashed some quick punches in succession and his opponent went down.

The referee blew on his whistle and the crowd cheered louder when another opponent stepped in.

Tsuna was memorized by Ryohei-san's cool moves and fast reflexes. It was a shame tonight was his final night. Maybe Ryohei-san could have taught him some moves or they could have been friends if it wasn't for his debt to the Pravus family...

Tsuna watched another match and win for Ryohei before slinking off. With it being late and most of the occupants watching Ryohei fight, the main floor was nearly empty.

With watchful eyes and being on full alert Tsuna went towards the locker room. Ryohei had his own locker, number 4894 or as Tsuna remember it: lemongrass.

He walked around the room first and found it empty and returned to the locker. Luckily this gym had chosen to have built-in locks. Locks Ruairi-san had taught him to pick. Tsuna pulled out his lock-picking tools from his pocket and a pair of plastic gloves and got to work.

Two minutes later, the lock clicked and Tsuna pushed the handle up and the locker opened. _'Wow, I can't believe I just successfully picked this lock! Thank you Ruairi-san!_ '

Ryohei's locker was very messy. He had two pairs of work out shoes and one pair of dress-shoes, some shirts and shorts, and hygiene things.

What he was looking for was a ring box. Tsuna was uneasy about taking away something important like that. After searching around, he finally found the deep yellow box. Tsuna bit his lip. Just what did the Pravus family want with a ring? What would Ryohei-san's wife think when Ryohei tells her he lost their wedding ring?

Tsuna worriedly nibbled on his bottom lip, deciding to pry open the box to see its contents. After a while of fighting with the box Tsuna decided to give up. He couldn't open it and he had to take back the box for his boss.

When a quiet apology Tsuna put all of Ryohei's things back in order and shut the locker.

When he later on showed Ruairi-san the box, he thought he would be punished for taking back a broken box but was rewarded with a 12,000 yen redaction from his debt and a sliver of guilt.


	4. Code 3037

**Chapter 4- Code 3037**

Four days after Tsuna's encounter with Sasagawa, Ruairi-san had come over to his apartment to inform him on his next job. Tsuna answered the door for the redheaded man and he pushed through, making himself at home by dropping his black sling bag with red accents on the ground, flopping down on his couch and pulling out a cigarette before muttering for some coffee.

Tsuna bit his lip, holding his tongue from yelling at the man to be more considerate in a person's home, instead choosing to go to his kitchen and make them both a hot cup of the beverage. When he returned, Ruairi-san had pulled out a small camera, a picture of a man stapled to a sheet of paper.

"What's this?" Tsuna asked curiously, giving the other man his drink.

"Your next job, kid. Boss needs you to follow him tomorrow. So study his face well and make sure he doesn't see you. Ah, you didn't put enough sugar." The redheaded man's nose scrunched slightly by the bitter taste, getting up to get more sugar or milk.

Tsuna sat on the other seat of the couch and grabbed the picture of the man. His name was written on the bottom of the picture. Mukuro Rokudo. The man was in his mid-twenties with dark indigo hair that reminded him of a pineapple. He appeared smug with a smirk on his face and daring heterochromia eyes with the left eye being blue and the right red. Mr. 3037 didn't look hard to forget.

"He looks dangerous," Tsuna commented on the picture.

"He is. I repeat, do NOT let him see you and do not interact with him." Ruairi-san called from the kitchen. "I will not be there to help you if he does get to you. If I hear you got revealed and captured, I will not hesitate to go after you and put a bullet through your skull myself, got it?" He opened his coat to reveal a handgun situated at his hip.

"Hiee! Okay, got it! I'll be careful, please put that away!" Tsuna panicked, waving his hands around in surrender.

"Get a backbone, won't you kid?" The redheaded man replied annoyed.

"Please don't threaten me then!" Tsuna yelled, grabbing a pillow to shield himself with as if a pillow could deflect a bullet.

"Quit embarrassing yourself and listen," Ruairi-san came back to the couch with his now sweet cup of coffee and an air of seriousness that Tsuna put the pillow behind himself and listen attentively.

"Starting tomorrow, for two hours starting at noon, you will have to document everything Rokudo does. And I mean everything, got it?"

"Ah, yes!" Tsuna nodded.

"He will be seen talking a family memeber of his in the shopping district at the Umai Anko cafe. We aren't too interested in her but if she does anything, you write it down as well," Ruairi-san paused to let Tsuna digest the information before continuing. "Take this seriously, kid. Rokudo is very dangerous and will not hesitate to hurt you if he catches you spying on him. So wear plain or dark clothing and sunglasses, anything to not make you noticeable." Ruairi-san took a long sip of his coffee and Tsuna felt anxious for this job tomorrow. Sasagawa was kind and helpful but this next man was the total opposite and one slip could mean death for him.

Ruari-san set his empty cup down, grabbed his bad, and stood to leave. "Any questions kid?"

"Ah, yes, could you teach me how to use this camera?"

A smack to the face was followed.

* * *

The time was 12:42 and Mukuro Rokudo and his companion, a petite woman who looked to be his twin, had finally arrived at the Umai Anko. Tsuna quickly jotted down the time in a small notepad. At this time of day, the busy cafe was nearly full of people trying to buy buns or sweets or just something to drink and so most of the seats and tables were taken except for a few.

Tsuna had deduced that the two would pick someplace where they could flee quickly or somewhere hidden. The only table with that description was on the front patio next to a corner alleyway and busy street with many pedestrians and cars passing by. His intuition was right as the two sat at the table.

Tsuna himself sat at the elevated section of the patio, near the door to the restaurant, and with a white fence that came to his chest that perfectly covered his camera but not enough so he couldn't take pictures. He had chosen a perfect seat to discreetly keep an eye on the pineapple twins and monitor them.

Rokudo had left his companion to order for both of them. The pretty girl sat elegantly, her hands intertwined while she glanced at her surroundings. She glanced at him but didn't determine him as a threat as she looked away and turned to face the sky. Rokudo came back soon after.

Tsuna sat, eating his parfait, the small camera to the left of him and hidden underneath a napkin. A waitress brought the duo's meal and Tsuna snapped a secret picture. Ruairi-san did say to capture everything. The two had ordered a salad and a sandwich meal. They talked lowly but even if they talked louder Tsuna doubted he would hear them with the loud restaurant noise.

So Tsuna opted to try to read their lips but the proved futile. He was getting worried that they would leave soon without spilling any information until suddenly both targets discreetly checked their surroundings. Though Tsuna's eyes were concealed through his sunglasses, he still shifted his eyes when Mukuro Rokudo's eyes were set on him. He fought a shiver and looked back at the duo. Neither were paying attention to him and the girl brought out a manilla envelope out of her purse.

The woman suddenly looked very confident and serious and Rokudo mirrored her. He opened the envelope to reveal blue paper. A blueprint to something. Tsuna zoomed his camera in to get a good look. It looked to be a blueprint of a big building with a lot of rooms. He snapped three pictures of it before it was no longer in focus.

Rokudo pulled out another two sheets of the blueprints and Tsuna snapped more pictures of them before the man put them away.

The next two sheets Mr. Pineapple pulled out startled Tsuna. They were reports, similar to the ones Ruairi-san had given to him about Mukuro Rokudo with a picture stapled to each picture. But one of the pictures was of Ruairi-san and the other of Trux Pravus, the mafia leader that owned him. Tsuna snapped out of his trance and snapped multiple pictures of the papers.

So they knew who the Pravus family were? Did they know about him? Tsuna suddenly felt the weight of his surroundings. It all became too real. This was becoming very dangerous. If they knew who his superiors were they were sure to know about him too right?

In his shock, Tsuna's grip on the camera loosened, knocking his parfait and camera to the ground making the duo snap their heads at his direction. He pretended not to notice them when he bent over to pick up his mess. Luckily, the white fence was solid on the bottom so they wouldn't see what dropped and the sound of the parfait glass breaking masked the sound of the camera.

The glass, cream, and fruit mixture were everywhere but thankfully missed the camera. Tsuna quickly pocketed it and stood to get some napkins. He was shocked to see Mukuro Rokudo himself right in front of him.

"Are you alright?" Rokudo asked him politely.

"A-ah y-yes." Tsuna stammered. He had failed the covert portion of the mission already. Now he just hoped Rokudo didn't find him suspicious.

"What happened to your meal?" His target asked him looking over at the mess on the floor.

"Ah, well, you see, I'm clumsy so I lost my grip and it fell," Tsuna lied pathetically.

"So I see," The blue-haired man raised an eyebrow, "Here, I'll help you." The man brought out a red handkerchief from his back pocket. Tsuna was about to thank him when the man suddenly took off his sunglasses and rubbed his cheek with the tissue.

"Hiiee. What are you doing?!" Tsuna flinched, uncomfortable and feeling so vulnerable without his protection and by being so close to this man.

"You have some whip cream on your face," Rokudo explained calmly, bringing the handkerchief to his face again. "Let's get you cleaned first then the mess."

Tsuna was embarrassed by the situation. He felt like a little kid and the entire restaurant was staring at them. If anyone from the Pravus family saw them, they would surely rat him out.

"Finished," Rokudo smiled handing him his glasses.

"Th-thank you." Tsuna bowed slightly and quickly put his sunglasses back on. As if on cue, a waitress came out with a rag and a trash can to pick up the mess on the floor. Tuna apologized to her before moving to leave.

"Excuse me."

Tsuna froze and turned towards the pineapple shaped haired man, "Yes?"

"What is your name?"

"Tsu-Tsuna." He was unsure if he should have used his real name but those piercing eyes made him feel like Rokudo would have known if he were lying.

"Tsuna." He repeated slowly as if tasting the name. "My name is Mukuro. We should see more of each other."

"Ah, I... I don't know about that. I'm very busy," Tsuna swallowed nervously. He glanced at the man's companion. Her wide emotionless eyes were staring intently at them.

"Well then, next time I see you, we should have a long conversation," Mukuro smiled at him.

Tsuna smiled nervously back, "Y-yes. Next time," He rounded a corner, hid and breathed to calm his nerves and his heart hammering in his chest. He didn't know if the two had stuck any longer or not after he left. He just wanted to get out of the district and back home.

* * *

Later that night, Ruairi-san came over to his apartment to check on the information Tsuna had acquired.

Ruairi-san was obviously livid about the pictures and notes Tsuna had gotten. The mohawked man didn't bother asking any questions, seemingly so interested in the information. The man grunted putting away the notepad and camera in his bag, turning to leave the apartment.

"Good work. We're subtracting twelve thousand from your debt."

And that was all. Tsuna wasn't sure if should have told Ruairi-san about him meeting the target but he didn't want to incur the scary man's wrath upon himself so he kept his mouth shut.

Before going to bed, in his futon on the floor, Tsuna got up to make sure his window and door were locked, his window covered, and a hammer near his bed. He didn't know if anyone would break in late at night. And he didn't want to risk it. It took some time for his paranoia and thoughts to dissipate enough for sleep to catch up to him. He had work in the morning and now he would only have four hours of sleep. 

* * *

**A/N: Could you tell I'm trying out a new writing style? I hope it's fine. I've actually been working on this for a while because I couldn't get it right. I had to constantly revise the chapter over and over again until this is what I settled with. I hope it was somewhat worth the wait.**

 **The original was just so boring and unintersting because literally nothing happened in the chapter. Which is horrible because Mukuro** _ **is**_ **such an interesting character and it wasn't bringing him justice.**

 **I'm also loving Ruairi-san so it was writing him in a little more.**

 **Special Thanks to everyone who reviewed and followed. It really warms my heart.**


	5. Responsibility

**Chapter 5 - Responsibility**

The shrill sound of Tsuna's phone alarm startled him out of his slumber. Shaken and bleary-eyed he checked his cell phone and jumped out of his futon when he saw the time. It was 7:31 in the morning meaning he had only 29 minutes to get dressed and get to work. Getting there generally took him around 25 minutes to arrive so he knew he would be late, again, regardless. He called his workplace and informed his fellow cashier named Yui that he would be late. Yui snorted in annoyance and then forwarded him to his boss to which his boss told him they will have a talk later on.

Minutes later, Tsuna had clocked in 15 minutes late. He took a quick glance at his surroundings and saw around ten people at Yui's station waiting to purchase their items and staring at him with impatience and hope that he'll open his register. He hurried to his station, tieing his apron on, and apologized to Yui who was always annoyed with him for constantly messing up transactions and being tardy forcing her to work harder than she needed to.

Yui sneered with a dirty look on her face, "Next time, call when you aren't going to be late." Tsuna said nothing, nervously waving for a customer.

One hour later when there weren't as many customers in the store, his boss called him to his office over the speakerphones. Tsuna sighed anxiously as he trudged to be reprimanded, Yui's cackles following behind him.

"This is the nth time you are late, Mister Sawada," His boss, Gaku-san, a balding middle-aged man scolded him. "You need to be more responsible in your life, you cannot continue to be constantly late to work! Do you want to be fired?"

Tsuna raised his head in alarm, "No, sir! I'm sorry, sir. It's just that I-"

"I don't want to hear it," His boss waved his hand in dismissal. "Taking responsibility for your actions is crucial to becoming an adult. How old are you?"

"Twenty years old, sir."

"Twenty... you're still a child but you are also at an age where you are at the cusp of adulthood. And with that comes..." His boss stalled, wanting an answer.

"... Responsibilities?" Tsuna answered hesitantly.

"Yes, responsibilities. And do you know what happens when you don't have any responsibility?"

"Umm..." Tsuna thought unsuccessfully.

"You fail," His boss snarled, "You become a useless member of society." Tsuna flinched at the word. "You fail in life. You fail yourself, your family, and your town. I will give you one final chance, Sawada, because I believe that anyone can become a useful member of society. Even you."

The sudden compliment surprised Tsuna. "Me? Really?"

"Yes. Tell me, are you the same person you were in high school?"

Tsuna thought back to his time in high school. He hated thinking too much about that time. He tried to remember who he was back then compared to now. Though it had only been two years, he thought he had grown slightly from that silent child he had been before.

"Slightly. I'm slightly better, I suppose."

"Good," His boss nodded. "So long as you grow for the better, even slightly, and you are responsible for your actions and solving your own problems then I believe you will grow up to be a successful adult."

Tsuna thought of how he managed to rent an apartment and get a job when he thought he would never be able to obtain either of those things. He thought of how he became a dog for a mafia family to repay his debts and how he managed to learn how to pick locks and learned how to sneak for information. Though the latter weren't as virtuous.

"...Yes. In a way, I am."

"Good. Now, I have to inform you, based on your work performances I will have to inform you that if you fail your work responsibilities again I will have no choice but to hire someone else who can handle them."

Tsuna shivered from the threat but bowed lowly, "Yes, sir. I understand."

"Dismissed."

"Thank you for the talk." Tsuna bows once again before leaving his boss's office. He stands outside shaking in fear and anxiety leaving him hyperventilating outside the door. His bosses words engulfed him in both hope and fear.

He couldn't lose his job, he needed it so he could survive. He couldn't move back to his mother's house a failure.

He also needed to consider finding another job. He wouldn't be able to cashier for other stores if they were going to call Gaku-san and ask him about his performances; they'd never hire him. He wasn't fooling himself. He was absolutely terrible at his cashiering job. He'd have to get two retail jobs to keep himself afloat since he never attended college and didn't have any skills or trades.

Ruairi-san appeared on his mind at the thought. Working for a mafia family was never an interest of his. He only wanted to finish repaying the family and then move on with his life. He knew he still owed a great deal of money to the Pravus family- a little less than 600k yen in debt if he wasn't mistaken. It would take him a year to pay off.

There was only one choice he could make now. And he hoped it would work.

* * *

Eight hours later, Tsuna clocked out of his job feeling stressed and hungry. His anxiety enveloped him all day and he found himself stressing at every mistake he made. Nearly every produce code he inputted was wrong. He could only remember the codes for bananas and pineapples. Yui was giving him the dirtiest looks she could muster and insulted him every ten minutes. By the end, he just wanted to go home and hide from his stresses.

He reached the parking lot of his job and turned around. The building looked almost foreign and distant to him. It was only a matter of time that he was fired and out on the streets but he had an opportunity to change all that with just a phone call.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Ruairi-san's number.

"What do you want pipsqueak?" The man asked gruffly.

"I..." Tsuna hesitated, "I wanted to say something."

"Spit it out then."

"I want to start doing more jobs for the family."

Ruairi-san fell silent and Tsuna wondered if he hung up. "Where are you?"

"I'm outside my job. I just got out. I'm alone if that's what you're wondering."

"Alright, I'll be there in ten minutes. Wait for me in the parking lot."

"Okay. Wait how do you know where I work?"

Ruairi-san gave him no answer and hung up.

Tsuna waited patiently for the man, wondering if what he was doing was right. His mother would probably be even more disappointed in him if she found out what he was doing but he didn't know what else to do.

A bright red Maserati parked near him and it quickly gained his attention. The window rolled down revealing Ruairi-san in the driver's seat. "Get in." Tsuna obeyed, amazed he would be in such a car and had to refrain himself from ogling.

"So why do you want to do more missions for the family?" The redheaded mohawked man asked him.

"I just... I'm going to get fired, Ruairi-san," Tsuna twisted his hands nervously, "I don't know when, but I know it's soon, it's like waiting for an execution. I can't change. I don't know how... I just, I need to know. Is it possible for me to get more jobs? I won't be able to repay the family if I'm out on the streets."

Ruairi-san raises a sharp eyebrow, an annoyed look on his face. "Do you know what you're speaking of? You have no skills. What, do you want to start taking assassination jobs?"

"Um, no, I mean, I could still do jobs like the ones I'm doing now, can't I?" Tsuna asked nervously. "I... I know how to pick locks, and I can follow anyone you want."

"Our family members already know how to do those things." Ruairi-san interrupts. "You're nothing compared to them. They know how to fight, you can barely walk down a street without tripping. They have experience, which you lack. They're smarter than you. And they can kill, which you're too afraid to do."

Ruairi-san pulled out a switchblade knife from his pocket and pressed it against Tsuna's neck.

Tsuna gasped as he felt the sharp and cold blade against his throat.

"And most importantly: they have a backbone. A family member would have attempted to disarm me or at least defend themselves the second I pulled out my blade. You're weak and would have allowed your neck to be slit."

Ruairi-san puts his knife away just as quickly as he pulled it out. Moments pass as Tsuna attempts to get his bearings back.

"Get out."

"No."

" _Get out, you shit_."

"Please teach me."

"What?"

"Teach me how I can be good enough so I can get better jobs." Tsuna persisted. "I'll work hard, so please."

"You fucking idiot, get out of my car," Ruairi-san hisses at him.

"I won't."

Ruairi-san pulls out his knife again and pressed it against Tsuna's neck, nicking him and a small line of blood trailed down his neck and stained his white collared shirt. "You aren't good enough! You never will be!"

Tsuna closed his eyes at the stinging words and focused on his resolve. He needed to be more responsible and if he gave in now, he would never be more than a pile of trash on the streets. "I want to be good enough so please help me. I'll work hard to do whatever you tell me. So please." He grabbed firmly onto Ruairi-san's wrist holding the knife.

The man stopped and lowered the knife slightly, "Where'd all this come from? I thought you were born without a backbone."

"I need to do what I think is right."

"If you think joining a mafia family is right, I wonder what you think is wrong." Ruari-san puts his knife away again and starts up his car, leaving the grocery store's parking lot.

Tsuna felt a mix of emotions. Exhilaration. Anxiety. Fear. Pride. He hadn't stood up for what he believed in for a long time. His boss's words struck hard with him. He did want to become a new person. He wanted to be a great man and the first step was to own up to his responsibilities. He had a debt and he would repay it no matter what. And then... time will tell.

"Where are we going?" Tsuna asked.

"We're putting your new backbone to use."

* * *

They arrived at a small but nice house twenty minutes later. The two got out of the car, closed the doors, and Tsuna followed the red-headed man to the front of the house. He didn't knock instead unlocking the door with a key and walked inside. Tsuna marveled at how lavish the small home was. Landscape paintings of all sizes hung on almost every wall and the entire place appeared clean and immaculate. Black furniture decorated the house complimenting the white brightness of the home. Whoever owned this home was wealthy that was certain.

The red-haired mohawked man led him down a hallway to a back door that took them to a lush backyard decorated with outdoor chairs and a table with a large umbrella supplying shade. Potted flowers lined the fences of the yard and in the middle stood a young woman with short wavy hair dyed dark green hair with dark blue eyes. She looked over to them but didn't stop her slow movements, which Tsuna believed to be Tai Chi. She wore a black tank top and white shorts with a pair of dark green sneakers. Tsuna thought she was a very pretty woman.

"Rui-kun, you're here earlier than expected." She smiled her voice gentle, although not stopping her movements.

"It's 4:30 in the afternoon. I'm late by an hour," Ruairi-san snorted.

The young woman checked her wristwatch, "Oh yeah. Huh." She turned her attention to Tsuna. "And who's this kid?"

"He's the new dog, Tsunayoshi."

"The new dog huh..." She mumbled, looking him over.

"You can call me Tsuna though, ma'am." Tsuna bowed. "Nice to meet you."

She blinked in surprise. "Wow. You have more manners than most of the guys Rui here brings."

"You've actually seen her before," Ruairi-san informs him getting both the woman's and his attentions.

"Really? When?" He asked. The young woman also seemed interested.

"When you met the boss. Little Miss Sunshine here was drunk off her ass and passed out on the couch."

Realization hit as he recalled the scene. "Oh yeah..."

The woman looked embarrassed, "Hey, now, don't judge me for enjoying myself. Anyway, I'm Marie Pravus."

"Pravus? You're Trux's sister?" Tsuna asked her.

She laughed, "Oh no, I'm the bastard's cousin and Guardian."

"Guardian?" Tsuna stared inquisitively at her she did have a muscular build.

"Marie is a skilled martial artist," Ruairi-san explained, "She's more than capable of handling anyone who gets too close."

"No one touches me or the boss while I'm around!" Marie gloated. "I even taught Ruairi here most of his moves."

"She only taught me some moves." He muttered, uninterested and sat on a shaded chair near them.

Tsuna suddenly felt weak. He remembered his time with Ryohei and how he had sucked at boxing.

"Tsuna, right? Do you know how to fight? You actually look a little weak to me though..." She muttered, looking up and down.

"Ah, no. I don't know much. Only some basic boxing." Tsuna mumbled.

"That's why we're here," Ruairi said. "I need you teach him some self-defense."

"And who's paying for the lessons?"

"No one. Do it from the bottom of your heart." Ruairi waved his hand in the air.

"What heart? I'm not working for free. Why won't you teach him?"

"You're a better teacher."

After bickering a bit more, Marie sighed and told him to come closer.

"Alright, if you want to learn how to defend yourself, everything begins with your stance."

She spent the next two hours teaching him how to counter attacks and also some balancing techniques to help him out such as standing on one leg and learning some beginners Tai Chi.

"I want you to practice these techniques every day for an hour, got it?" Marie said. "And it's okay to feel worried or afraid when fighting but if you let it control you, you'll lose. So when you feel yourself losing grip, just breathe. In," She inhaled, "and out." Tsuna imitated her. "Believe in yourself. Be confident. Trust in your intuition. _And kick their ass_."

The two laughed lightly and continued their session. In those two hours, Tsuna felt like he learned a lot from Marie than he did his entire life. Marie was a smart woman with a lot of patience. He felt grateful to her for teaching him so much. The lessons he learned today felt simply amazing.

"Marie," Tsuna called to her when they finished their session, "Thank you very much." He bowed lowly.

Marie laughed lightly, "Don't thank me just yet. Now, since I helped you for free, I think you should repay us with some yummy sandwiches, what do you think Ruairi?"

Ruairi-san grunted, not looking up from his phone. "I want extra meat."

Tsuna found his way to the kitchen and made sandwiches for all three of them. He came back out minutes later and handed each person a sandwich and a glass of lemonade.

Ruairi-san quickly ate his in less than a minute and then stole his before he could bite it. Tsuna protested but that didn't stop Ruairi from eating his just as quickly.

"Break's over. Come on, I'll be teaching you how to fight." Ruairi-san got into a low stance and glared at him. "Try to hit me."

"Do I have to?" Tsuna gulped nervously. The serious look on Ruairi-san's face made him shiver and he weakly threw his fist at the man and a second later found himself on the ground staring at the darkening sky.

"Pathetic. Again."

For Tsuna the next hour was spent feeling the wind getting knocked out of him, being slammed onto the ground, and staring up towards the dark sky.

Tsuna's body was sore and tired when suddenly both Marie and Ruairi's phones binged. The two stared at their messages then nodded quickly to each other.

"Come on, let's go," Ruairi called him and as he and Marie walked back into the woman's home.

Marie locked the door behind her and joined the two boys in Ruairi's car. Ruairi slammed his foot on the pedal and Tsuna paled at the thrust and speed of the car. Ruairi drove for a while when he suddenly stopped at a corner and Tsuna was kicked out.

"Go home," Was all his mentor, he guessed, told him before he continued his rapid and dangerous driving.

Confused, Tsuna obeyed and checked the GPS on his phone on how to get home.

* * *

The tires screeched on the pavement as Ruairi floored the pedal. Marie held dearly onto the cars grippers as the man jerked and steered the car to their destination. The ride was silent for a time before Marie reached into the glove compartment and pulled out Ruairi's AMT Hardballer gun and a spare 9mm pistol. She grabbed the two ammunition boxes for the respective guns that were hidden under some licensing papers and began loading the weapons carefully.

"Are you serious, Ruairi?" Marie finally asks, "Why did you bring that boy to me? He's a dog."

"I know."

"But Trux says-"

"I know what he says."

"Then why-"

"Because I have a plan."

Silence filled the car again. They were reaching their destination quickly at this point and Marie had finished loading the weapons.

"No... no plan. We stick to the boss's!"

"We'll _die_ if we stick to his plan."

Another pause.

"He'd never let anything happen to us." The woman says quietly.

"Maybe not but I have to do anything I can to keep both of us out of harm's way."

"Ruairi..."

"I need the brat to fill his roll. In order for that to happen, we'll both have to mentor him. Will you help me?"

"... Okay. Just don't do anything too rash. I don't want you to... you know..." She whispered, staring at the gun in her hands.

"I won't. I promise."

The rest of the ride was filled with silence. They could both see the flames and smoke appearing closer than before now. Someone had bombed one of the Pravus family's smaller warehouses and hideouts causing some family casualties.

As the burning building came into full view, Marie spotted three dark figures running towards a black van that was most likely a getaway vehicle. She lowered the car's window and took the safety off the AMT Hardballer gun.

"There!" She yelled. She could just make out the newest Sun and Storm Guardians of the Vongola and the dirty blonde CEDEF agent through the darkness.

"Should have fucking known," Ruairi growled, "The fucking Smoking Bomb."

Both instantly knew he was the one responsible for the bombing attack on their warehouse and the death of some of their family members.

"Little bitch," Maire muttered, aiming the pistol at her target and pulled the trigger.

* * *

 **I don't know about you y'all but I'm really excited to begin writing the next chapter!**

 **I hope you're all somewhat enjoying Trux, Ruairi-san, and Marie. I don't want to bore anyone after all.**

 **Constructive critsism and reviews of all types are welcome!**

 **Also there's a poll on my profile and you should check out. It'll only be a minute and I'd appreciate it if you voted. And there's a section on my profile where I regularly update the progression of each of my stories so you'll always know when something is about to be uploaded.**

 **Thank you for your time.**


	6. The Smoking Bomb

_**So, um, if anyone's interested in being a BETA let me know?**_

 **Chapter 6- The Smoking Bomb**

The sound of a gun firing made the three young men running towards their getaway van turn their heads. Identifying the threat, the three quickened their pace. Marie stood inside the car, bending her body out of the passenger side window and fired the remaining bullets, letting out a small cheer when the Sun Guardian jerked and stumbled. The other two boys slid to a stop and rushed back to help their injured teammate.

Ruairi halted the car a distance away from their targets to fire his 9mm pistol at the trio and smirked when he got a hit on the Storm Guardian. The silver haired man shouted indistinctly before he used his flames to create a shield to protect them.

Marie had finished reloading her weapon and fired again but the shield was too powerful and successfully protected the men carrying their injured teammates to the running van.

Both Ruairi and Marie cursed when the van's doors closed shut and screeched as it drove away.

"Dammit, Ruairi, follow them!" Marie hissed, sitting back into the car.

"On it." He replied curtly, following the van as fast as his sports car allowed.

It was a short chase and as they approached, the back door of the van opened, revealing the Smoking Bomb. The action surprised them long enough for the man to smirk, place several orange sticks to the lit cigarette dangling in his mouth and throw them. Time slowed and the two Pravus members could only watch in horror as the sticks approached them.

Ruairi barely had enough time to slam on the brakes of his car before the dynamite sticks exploded, destroying his windshield and damaging the front of his car. The tires screeched and swerved as he struggled to regain control of the car. Once parked he yelled, enraged when he realized the extent of the damage.

"You fuck! I'll fucking kill you!" Ruairi screamed at the silver haired man. The Storm's green eyes closed and he gave a wide grin, giving the "V" symbol before the van disappeared from sight.

Marie watched Ruairi continue to scream obscenities for a second before she pulled out the small dispatching radio in the car. "All units to Namimori street 72 and Kemuri. Target is a black Vongola issued Kei van licensed V 11-828. I repeat street 72 and Kemuri, white Kei van licensed plate V 11-828."

She sighed when she received confirmations and sat back in her seat. She dialed the Pravus family's mechanic and continued to ignore Ruairi while he continued to panic and scream.

* * *

Inside the van, Gokudera puffed the last of his cigarette before putting it out on an ashtray. He hissed as he held a hand over the bullet hole in his left bicep.

"Sasagawa-san, thou art hurt badly, alloweth me to help thee," Basil said, placing a hand on the boxer's bleeding thigh.

Ryohei recoiled at the touch, "Thank you, Basil, but this extremely doesn't hurt at all! This is nothing! I'll get over this!"

"Thee still needth help. Thee shall passeth out if thee wonneth't alloweth me to help thee." Basil argued, grabbing a medical aid box from underneath the passenger chair in front of him.

Ryohei shut his mouth as Basil began treating his wounds. "Gokudera-san, I knoweth thou art injured too. You cannot hide it from me."

"I'm not hiding it, so heal me later. I'm not that hurt." Gokudera cursed when he saw two white vans approaching them too quickly. "Hey! Shit head! Drive faster!"

"So damn rude," the silent man driving the van with short black wavy hair spoke finally, "You would think getting shot would make you a bit nicer."

"Driving is all you can do and judging by those cars coming up behind us, you're hardly good at it."

"Enough!" Basil interjected, silencing the two arguing males."Romeo-san, please continue to drive. Gokudera-san please do not fight an ally."

"Basil is right," Ryohei said, "We need to lose these guys and get to headquarters."

"Gokudera-san, doth thou has't any more dynamite?"

Gokudera checked his body, "Fuck me. I only have nine. Used it all up on that guy and chick. Who were they anyway?"

"Don't know but we'll find out," Ryohei replied.

Gokudera thought for a second. "Turn the next corner, _Romeo_ ," Gokudera spat the name, "Drop me off. I'll get their attention while you guys get away."

"That's extremely the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say!" Ryohei gaped at him.

"I shall has't to concur," Basil said.

"Hey, if it means a chance you die, I'm all for it." Romeo grinned.

" _You!"_ Gokudera hissed before he took a deep breath. "Just do what I say. I'll be fine."

Romeo turned at the next corner and Gokudera flung the door open and shut. Basil barely had enough time to tell the reckless man to be careful through the open window before Romeo sped away faster than before.

Basil and Ryohei watched worriedly from the back seat as an explosion sounded out before they lost sight of their teammate.

* * *

Gokudera's lungs pulsed heavily as he ran as fast as he could. A black van, most likely owned by the damned Pravus family, was catching up fast to him. The driver inside lowered his window and began shooting at him. He quickly lit two sticks and turned to throw them. A quick pain to his right thigh proved it was a mistake to do. His cell phone was in that pocket and he hoped it was strong enough to stop the bullet from penetrating him.

He managed to leap out of the alleyway and into the street when his bombs exploded loudly. He peaked back at the now destroyed and ablaze car spinning out of control. It hit the brick wall harshly and there was no movement afterwards.

He took the opportunity to run across the street and into another alley. The explosion most likely garnered a lot of attention. Good. He needed to keep the attention on him and not on his team.

He crossed another block and stumbled when a terrible pain in his thigh scrunched. Blood was streaming down his right thigh. He grit his teeth through the pain and continued on. His tossed another dynamite stick into a dumpster and hurried out of sight.

Explosion after explosion, he did his best to keep all attention in his area. However, his arm and thigh were burning and pulsing horribly. His stagger was reduced to a limp and he only had two bombs left. He was almost out of another alley when a white van came into view.

He quickly hid behind a dumpster and peaked through the side gap. The car slowed to a stop, and a door opened with footsteps following. He grabbed onto the last two of his sticks, ready to light when needed. The footsteps echoed throughout the still area and he pressed himself closer to the wall, trying to shrink himself.

It felt like minutes had passed when the footsteps began to fade and the car door slammed shut and drove away.

Gokudera groaned as he rose back to a standing position. He reached down to his pants to grab his phone, hoping it survived. A bullet had pierced right through the device, leaving it shattered and unusable. He put it back into his pants, dissapointed. How was he going to call for a rendevous now?

He continued on, staggering throughout the streets, hiding whenever he heard footsteps, cars, or sirens. He had stopped exploding random dumpsters for attention. Surely his team was safe by now. They were probably extracting the information they collected by now.

It was a simple mission, originally meant for him and that bastard Romeo. Get in, copy Pravus confedential information, then blow up the building. He could have done it on his own but Ryohei had decided to tag along to search for any information regarding his missing box weapon and Basil volunteered to come along as well. He was better and faster at hacking anyway. Romeo was there for a quick getaway. He knew a lot about cars and could make one fly. That was the only thing he would ever compliment that asshole for though not aloud of course.

However, the mission didn't go exactly as planned. Basil did manage to hack into the system but most of the data was missing and he barely had enough time to extract the deleted data when they were attacked. He and Ryohei managed to take out most of those who opposed them when they were forced out. Blowing up the building was easy enough. But the whole situation didn't sit nicely with him. Something was wrong.

His adrenaline had worn off and he fell to the groung feeling every little bit of pain in his body. Pricks and stings pulsed throughout his entire body. He debated letting his body rest on the cold and comforting concrete ground for a while until he denied the thought. He needed to find somewhere safe first.

He continued his trudge for a few more minutes, his wounds bothering him with each step. His blood seeped through his black suit coat and the stickiness bothered him. His favorite suit was ruined - what a shame.

He leaned against a wall and looked around the deserted street with a lone mini convenience store in the middle. It was nearly midnight so no wonder no one seemed to be around.

"Are you alright?"

The sound of an unknown voice startled him and he jabbed a hand in his pants to grab a stick of dynamite. He turned to face the one who managed to sneak up on him. It was a kid around his age with medium length brown spiky hair and large brown eyes. He was thin and a few inches shorter than him. Overall average appearance really and he looked like a pushover.

"Do you need help? You're bleeding..." The boy said, glancing nervously at him.

"Fuck off." He snarled. The boy stiffened but then opened his mouth again.

"I can help you. It looks like you're really hurt..."

" _I said fuck off_." He repeated his snarl, glaring with all his muster.

The boy let out a small "hiiee" - strange -, and took a step back, before nodding slowly and walked towards the store. He took a final glance at him before entering.

Gokudera sighed and continued his trek. Now that he had a landmark, he knew where he was. He was only 40 minutes away from headquarters. He had travelled farther than he thought.

"Excuse me!"

The man looked back to see the same boy following him with a plastic bag now in his hand.

He growled and pulled out the same dynamite stick and lit it. He held it out in front of the boy. "What the fuck did I just say? Stay away from me. This is your last warning." It was an extreme reaction but it was needed to get the kid away from him.

"Hiiee! Is that real?!"

"Leave if you don't want to get blown up. Three seconds."

The boy panicked and surprised him by gripping onto the fuse. He winced from the action and then slowly unwrapped his hand. He looked just as shocked as he was.

The boy gulped, "You look really injured and I just want to help."

Gokudera gaped and was about to argue again when a black car pulled into the street. He lunged towards the boy and hid them both behind a car parked on the street. It drove slowly through the street, no doubt looking for him.

He gripped the brunet's mouth to silence him until the car turned the corner.

He sighed and loosened his grip on the other's mouth. The pain in his leg was really becoming unbearable now.

"You're in trouble, aren't you?" The boy stated.

"No shit." He said gruffly.

"I'll give you shelter. I'll treat your wounds."

"What makes you think I'll trust you?"

"It's me or the ones chasing after you."

The silver head man glared at the guy. His large chocolate brown eyes were filled with concern and trepidation but there was a glimmer of determination and honesty. He didn't seem like he wanted to cause him any harm at all.

He nodded slowly. "Damn, fine. But if you do anything fishy, I'll blow you up, got it?"

The brown eyed boy let out another small squeak before helping him to his feet.

"So... my name is Sawada Tsunayoshi but you can call me Tsuna. What's your name?"

He didn't reply and Tsuna didn't push only leading him to his nearby apartment.

* * *

Though his apartment was only ten minutes away from the nearby convenience store, it took around twenty minutes to actually arrive since the unknown silver haired man insisted on hiding from every car or person.

The smell of smoke and blood was beginning to make him nauseous but he didn't say anything out of politeness. The taller man had obviously gone through a lot to be in this condition and Tsuna couldn't bear to watch him continue to limp slowly down the streets.

Tsuna opened his apartment door and gently led the man towards his two cushion couch. The injured man groaned when he sat and Tsuna left to his room for a second to charge his cell phone and put his apron away before going to his kitchen to fetch the man a glass of water.

He came back to the couch, handing the man the tall glass and ruffled through the plastic bag on his small coffee table for ibuprofen. The other drank five pills down immidiately before setting the bottle down.

"Thank you."

Tsuna piqued at the words and smiled, "You're welcome."

Tsuna returned to his kitchen to get a few small cotton towels, a pair of clean gloves, and a small bucket with fresh cold water.

Tsuna helped the injured man out of his black suit coat. The man unbuttoned his white blood soaked shirt slowly with one hand and took off the garment. Tsuna cringed at the blood and obvious in-and-out hole in his arm.

He dunked the towel into the water and gently patted the bloodied area avoiding the hole.

"This is a bullet wound, isn't it? You'll need stitches." Tsuna advised.

"I know. I'll go get them later. Just clean it."

Tsuna continued cleaning the area until the once filled clear bucket turned bright red. He grabbed the bottle of rubbing alcohol he bought and the two stared wordlessly at each other before the silver haired man nodded. Tsuna wet a new towel quickly and gently pressed it against the wound.

His guest arched his back and he loudly groaned in pain before he restrained himself and bit his tongue. Tsuna felt guilty for a second until the other leaned back up, "Gauze."

Tsuna opened the new box and wrapped his bicep nice and tight. Green eyes examined the bandage, "You actually wrapped it well."

"I've had some practice," Tsuna said softly, rinsing off the bloodied rag. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Gokudera was silent and Tsuna turned to look at him. The man had a small blush on his cheeks as if embarrassed. Tsuna examined his legs and felt a bit embarrassed as well. There was a hole in his right thigh and the only way he would be able to clean it would be if the man took off his pants.

Before it got anymore awkward the man unbuckled his belt and lifted his hips, pushing his pants to his knees.

"Sorry..." He had the decency to mutter.

Tsuna had to stop himself from lingering his gaze on the man's true purple briefs. The man had light creamy thighs that were dirtied with drying blood. Tsuna was shocked to see the end of a bullet stuck in his thigh.

"Hiiee. It's still in!" His yelp made the other jump slightly and he groaned lowly from the jolt.

"Dammit, do you have tweezers?" Tsuna nodded and went into his room. He came back seconds later and got on his knees in between the man's opened legs. The two tried their best to ignore the awkward postition.

Gokudera held a clean rag in his hands and nodded at him, "Do it."

Tsuna complied and gently yanked out the bullet. Gokudera stiffened then pressed the rag onto his wound. After a minute or two silveret lifted the rag so Tsuna could clean the area. Tsuna glanced nervously at him everytime he groaned in pain.

"Gauze. Quickly."

Tsuna grabbed the leftover item and readied himself. He began bandaging the wound, using mild expertise. When he finished, he leaned back and took a breath.

This man in front of him was dangerous, no doubt about it. He was shot multiple times and chased after for who knows how long. He was in something dangerous, maybe a gang or maybe he was also working for some mafia. Had Tsuna not been there when he was, he would have been caught or incapacitated from his wounds and killed. The thought worried him. Surely someone would miss him...

The man's green eyes were squeezed shut and his knuckles were turning white from gripping so hard onto his couch. His breaths were harsh and loud in an attempt to steady himself. The sight broke his heart.

"You should take better care of yourself!" The words just came out of him. "What of the people that care for you? They'd be pretty upset if they saw you like this."

Gokudera scoffed, "They wouldn't care. They'd only care that I wouldn't be able to do my job."

 _'That couldn't be true.'_ Tsuna thought, _'No one could be so cruel.'_

"No... I'm sure you're a really nice person and I'm sure your friends appreciate you more than you think. You should give them more credit."

"I'm not nice and no... they don't." He dismissed him, turning away.

"You are! I can tell you're a good person with a good heart and I'm sure your friends wouldn't want to know you died on the streets!"

Gokudera was silent, gazing at him with piercing eyes.

"You were out there, limping for your life! You were in complete danger and if you were my friend, I'd want to help you in any situation. That's why I helped you. I couldn't live with myself if someone was hurt right in front of me and I didn't do anything to help them."

"You..."

"If you called your friends now, I'm sure they'd come to get you to safety." Tsuna interrupted him. "You shouldn't think you're all alone because you're not. I don't know what you did to get yourself in this situation but you shouldn't have to think you could have done it alone."

Tsuna finished his lecture and Gokudera thought over his words. Silence filled the home afterwards until Tsuna's stomach grumbled suddenly, effectively ruining the tension.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I haven't eaten today yet." Tsuna chuckled nervously, embarrassed by the whole situation. He scrambled to his feet and headed to the kitchen.

"It's past midnight," Gokudera said, checking his watch.

"Guess I just forgot. Is ramen okay?"

"Sure..." Gokudera said, watching Tsuna scramble in his small kitchen for a boiler and ramen packets.

"It's past midnight and you're just barely eating because 'you forgot'." He said, raising a brow.

Tsuna gave a nervous chuckle in response, preparing two bowls. Gokudera laughed lightly, "And you were just lectutring _me_ for not taking care of myself?"

"I think not eating for a day is more forgivable than getting shot twice." Tsuna retorted, ripping open two packets of ramen noodles and placing each square in a bowl.

"It's different. One you have control over and the other you don't."

"Well... shit happens."

The reply made Gokudera guffaw loudly. While the food cooked, Tsuna came back and helped him put his clothes back on and took away the dirtied materials.

Soon after, Tsuna brought back a bowl for him. The two smiled lightly at each other, raised their bowls slightly and began eating.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Tsuna offered Gokudera his bed. He refused and while Tsuna insisted, Gokudera continued to deny the offer. He wouldn't feel right getting his bed dirty and he wasn't planning on stayting the night anyway. Finally, after mild arguing, Tsuna gave Goudera a spare pillow and blanket then left to shower.

A minute after the sound of water hitting the floor began, Gokudera stood gingerly from the couch. He searched the small living area and the kitchen but couldn't find the item he was looking for.

He made his way to a door near the bathroom and slowly opened it, trying not make a noise. It was Tsuna's room. It was a small room, with a futon on the floor, a small cluttered desk and a simple chair. A small TV sat in front of the futon on a three darwer nightstand and a connected PlayStation 3 sat on the wooden floor.

It was a simple and lonely looking room, nothing at all like his extravagant and expensive one.

He started with the nightstand holding the tv. The first held random things, the second held games for the system, and the third had CDs of all kinds. He recognized some of the bands in the drawer and nodded to himself. Tsuna had good taste in music.

A loud _bing_ sounded throughout the room and Gokudera turned to the messy desk. Underneath a grocery apron was Tsuna's cell phone charging. He swiped the screen and luckily Tsuna didn't have a lock on the phone to which he tisk'ed at. He had to remind the other to protect it.

A message from someone labeled as 4016 had sent him a message. The preview read: _Hey loser, prepare a cup of coffee for me in the morning and yourself. You're going to have a long day tomorrow._

The 'loser' bit made him feel annoyed but then ignored it and dialed a number he knew by heart.

"Who are you?" A man's voice sounded out, sounding angry that someone called him.

"Reborn. It's Gokudera."

There was a small silence.

"Where are you?"

"I found a safe place. About the missio-"

"The others have made it back safely. They've told me what happened. You're too reckless, Gokudera. You will need more training."

Gokudera cringed at the word. "Yes, I'm sorry."

"Are you alright?" Reborn's voice sounded a bit softer.

Gokudera piped up, "Yes. I am. I'll need stitches when I get back though. I'll need a rendezvous."

Reborn agreed to 02:00 meetup and soon after hung up.

Gokudera deleted the call and put the phone down. Another _bing_ sounded out and it was another message from the one Tsuna calls 4016. He ignored the text and, after making sure he left the room exactly the same, sat back down on the couch.

* * *

Gokudera awoke to two hands brushing against his shoulders. He grabbed the hands and opened his eyes to stare into Tsuna's surprised ones.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I was just making sure you would be warm for the night."

Gokudera noticed there was a blanket on him now.

"Oh thank you." He said, letting go of Tsuna's hands.

"You're welcome. I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's fine..."

Tsuna smiled at him again and Gokudera blushed slightly. Tsuna was really cute when he smiled. He was also one of the kindest people he had ever met. He was definitely thankful he met Tsuna and restored a bit of his humanity.

Tsuna headed towards his room when Gokudera called out to him.

"Tsuna!" Tsuna turned his head.

"Hayato."

Tsuna looked questionable.

"My name. My name is Gokudera Hayato."

"Nice to meet you, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna smiled again at him and bowed slightly, before entering his room. "Good night."

"Good night." Gokudera blushed again and swallowed the lump in his throat. It's been so long since he felt this way. Embarrassed and nervous and happy all at once.

Tsuna was definitely someone worth protecting.

He checked his watch. 1:20 am. He still had 40 minutes before meeting for his rendezvous.

Twenty minutes later, Gokudera walked into Tsuna's kitchen and found a napkin and pen.

He scribbled a note and signed with his initials then left the note on the couch near the folded blanket atop the pillow. He left the home and made sure to lock the door. He took one last look at the door before he left. He hoped this wouldn't be the last time he met Sawada Tsunayoshi.

* * *

Gokudera reached the rendezvous address with a minute to spare. A black van was sitting there waiting. It's lights flashed twice when he came into view and the door opened revealing a man with a wide smile and dark spiky hair.

"Hayato! Are you alright?"

"Shut up, Baseball Freak. I was fucking dandy until I saw your face." He snapped before getting inside. He was surprised to see most of his team in the van. Chrome was driving, Reborn sat in the passenger's seat, Basil sat in the back with Ryohei and Yamamoto sat in the middle of the van so Gokudera could sit near him.

"What the-? Lawn-Head you're supposed to be in the damn hospital!"

"I was in the hospital but when I heard you didn't make it back yet and needed a rendezvous, I couldn't just sit there!" Ryohei grinned.

"But what are you all doing here?" Gokudera asked, glancing at everyone.

"We're a team aren't we?" Ryohei answered with a wide smile.

"And we were pretty worried, you know?" Yamamoto's smile dropped slightly, "We were starting to think you were in trouble when you called."

"I was fine." He pulled out his broken phone. "Bullet fucked up my phone."

Basil looked over the bandage visible on his arm, "It looks nicely bandaged. Who were you with?"

"None of your damned business! But... thank all of you." Gokudera muttered, looking down at the bandage on his thigh, "For coming I mean. I appreciate it."

Silence filled the car and Gokudera looked up to see everyone staring at him questioningly.

"Oi... Are you sure you're okay?" Ryohei gaped at him.

"Dammit, stop looking at me like that!" Gokudera snapped.

"Haha! You're blushing!" Yamamoto laughed, "What happened while you were gone? Did you meet a girl?"

"No!" Gokudera screeched louder than necessary.

"Was she cute?" Reborn joined in on the teasing and Chrome giggled in the front.

"No dammit! I mean, yes, I mean no! Just shut up and drive!" He began panted heavily and everyone laughed at his defensiveness.

Chrome started the car and pulled into the street. The entire way back to headquarters was filled with everyone teasing him and Tsuna's voice echoed in his mind. _"I'm sure your friends appreciate you more than you think. You should give them more credit."_

Maybe his team did care for him more than he thought... They showed up after all...

"Nee, Gokudera." Silence filled the car when Reborn spoke, "Don't think you won't be getting off freely. When you heal up, you'll be getting bullet dodging training until you can dodge them in your sleep."

Gokudera paled at the thought. Reborn was a monster. "Yes, Reborn."

Laughter at his misfortune filled the car again and Gokudera sighed and accepted his fate to his team's constant teasing. He looked out of the car window and caught sight of Tsuna's apartment before it disapeared a second later. He wasn't going to forget the kindness he showed him anytime soon.

* * *

 **Congratulations to the first man to die in this fic! Let's name him... Pat. RIP Pat.**

 **So for those of you who are here for the romance, don't worry it's coming up soon! Does Gokudera have a mini crush on Tsuna? It's up to you to decide. I apologize that this chapter took so long, I wanted to make sure I got Gokudera's tsundere nature right. (I absolutely adore him.)**

 **Who is 4016? Tsuna has a habit of naming people after produce codes. 4016 is the code for a red delicious apple and I wonder who has bright red hair in the story?**

 **I can tell I'll need to revise this story as time goes on lol. Please be patient with my mistakes, I'm still a novice and any critcism is highly welcomed.**

 **And, if you're interested, I'll be uploading a new story soon. It'll be a fantasy/romance/slice of life/feel good fanfic starring Kyoko, Haru, Hana, and Chrome. The girls are potion making witches who move to the kingdom of Vongola. They meet Prince Tsunayoshi and his Guardians and along the way of creating potions, fighting enemies, and discovering the world they live in, the girls eventually fall in love with one of the lucky men. So please keep your eye out for "Sips of Potions and Slices of Cake!" ... The title is a work in progress. Anyway, it's coming out on the 20th of this month!**

 **Can anyone guess who's next? Hint: Nomnomnom.**


	7. An Old Acquaintance

**Chapter 7 - An Old Acquaintance**

Tsuna awoke to the sun shining on his face. He blearily checked his phone for the time and was surprised to see it was only 7:35 as he was generally a late sleeper usually waking at 9 or 10. His body ached with yesterdays activities and he groaned when he sat up to stretch, satisfied with the cracks and snaps that sounded out. He took a deep breath and surveyed his surroundings. Silent and still.

He checked his phone for messages and saw two unread messages from 4016 the code name he had chosen for Ruairi-san. 4016 was the produce code for a red delicious apple and he only felt it appropriate to name the red-headed man after the darkly colored fruit.

His eye twitched when he read the first message: ' _Hey loser, prepare a cup of coffee for me in the morning and yourself. You're going to have a long day tomorrow.'_

The second message read: _'Those Vongola shits are starting to take bigger hits on us. You'll be given a test job tomorrow. Pass and you're promoted. Wear black.'_

He sighed, his mind racing as he tried to remember how he got into this situation. He really didn't want to work for a mafia, he didn't want to have a crappy job that he was bad at, he didn't want to feel so lonely with no family... no friends... and no one to share his life with.

He placed a hand on the futon sheet. Maybe he should get a girlfriend or something. _'No...'_ he thought, folding his futon bed, _'I don't know a thing about romance.'_ He tidied up his room a bit and got dressed. _'Who would want a loser like me anyway?'_

He stepped out of his room, the small smile on his face quickly disappearing when he saw his guest wasn't on the couch. The spare blanket he placed on him was neatly folded on the couch cushion. Tsuna glanced at his restroom door but it wasn't in use. Gokudera must have left earlier and didn't want to wake him.

He tried to crush down the lonely and disappointed feelings building in him, going to his kitchen to make a sandwich and preparing two cups of coffee in the coffee maker. After yesterday's starvation period, he was going to make sure he got at least one meal in today.

He was almost done with his sandwich and halfway done with his coffee when he heard a knock on his door. Gokudera? Maybe he forgot something? Or maybe he went on a walk?

"Hey, you're back?" Tsuna couldn't keep the enthusiasm back in his voice when he opened the door. His smile faded slightly when he saw who stood before him.

"Yeah... I'm back." Ruairi raised an eyebrow. The red-headed man rudely pushed passed him and immediately sat on the couch, feet propped up on the coffee table. He looked questionably at the folded blanket. Tsuna continued staring at the man. His mentor's hair wasn't in the usual mohawk punk fashion but now limp against his head giving him a less intimidating appearance and a more handsome one.

Now that he thought about it... Ruairi had piercing eyes that could easily catch you in a lie, a deep voice that commanded attention, and a rough exterior. He was tall and he appeared strong with a lean body. A serpent was tattooed on his neck and piercings on his eyebrow, lip, and nose. A career in the mafia, multiple cars, a motorcycle and possibly an experienced fighter made him the very epitome of a bad boy.

"Oi, brat. Coffee. _Now_." The man snapped his fingers, lazily holding up a napkin with his other hand and with that demand, all previous thoughts left Tsuna's mind. An embarrassed blush rose on his cheeks just what was he thinking? He needed to get his mind of the gutter. He might have been desperate but he wasn't desperate enough to be with Ruairi-san.

He poured a still hot cup for Ruairi with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 3 shots of creamer then poured a second cup for himself (with only one tablespoon of sugar and one of creamer) before he went back.

"You got a girlfriend? Didn't know you had it in you." Ruairi accepted the cup and Tsuna placed his cup on the coffee table.

"What are you talking about?" Tsuna furrowed his brows and grabbed the spare blanket, placing it in his closet across the room.

Ruairi held up the napkin in his hand and Tsuna took it. " _Thank you for last night. Maybe I'll see you again soon. -G."_ Tsuna's eyes widened and his cheeks burned at the implications of the note. The phone number at the bottom didn't help either.

"No! You misunderstand! It's a friend!" He inputted Gokudera's number into his phone and crumbled the note.

A disgusted grunt came from Ruairi as he stood from the couch and made a sour face at the couch. "She was on her period?!"

Tsuna took a glance at the couch to see a small blood stain on the side of the couch. "No! It's not what it seems!" He shrieked, rushing to his kitchen to grab a rag to clean up the stain.

"You have the worst luck, don't you?" Ruairi took to leaning on the wall to sip at his coffee.

"You look like you had a long night," Tsuna tried changing the subject, "You look tired."

And he did. Ruairi had dark circles under his eyes, his eyelids were drooping slightly, and he was slumping lower than usual. Ruari growled loudly, his eyes blazing, "Yeah, this fucking piece of shit fucked up my car."

"What happened to your car?" Tsuna asked quickly, snapping his head to look at the man. That Maserati was beautiful and the thought of it being harmed tugged at his heart.

Ruairi was silent for a while. "Let's go. We're meeting the boss today to get you a job." Ruairi dropped his empty cup on his couch making Tsuna give him an annoyed look.

"Give me a minute." He grabbed the mug, put it in the sink, then grabbed his keys and wallet before walking out and locking the door.

He followed Ruairi to the parking lot and instead of seeing the Maserati was the red Mustang he had been in when he had that job with Ryohei. Tsuna opened his mouth but the angry look on Ruairi's face made him shut up and get in the car.

* * *

A little after half-an-hour later, they had arrived at the Pravus gated compound. Ruari-san informed the box outside of his identity and purpose and the gate opened for them. The compound was still beautiful and huge and Tsuna thought he'd never not be amazed by it.

Ruairi parked and led him inside the main house. The opening lounge area was once again filled with gang members of all types ranging from ground members dressed casually and higher end member with suits. Instead of smiles and jokes, frowns and angry faces were abundant and Tsuna wondered what had happened last night for such a dramatic change.

Tsuna was led down a familiar hall to his boss's office and he once again had to stay in the waiting room while Ruairi sauntered right in without a knock.

Tsuna sat on one of the black leather couches in the room. He tapped his hands on his knees for a while before getting up to examine the weapons on the walls. Silver knives, pistols, semi-automatics, shotguns, and strangely enough an umbrella were held up behind the glass covers and Tsuna wondered why they were here. Wouldn't someone be able to break in and then go shoot the boss? What was the point?

He heard a door opening and he turned to see Marie coming in from the front. "Oh, hey, dog." She greeted him.

"Good morning Marie-san." He nodded politely to her.

"Marie is fine." She said curtly and entered the boss's room just as quickly as she came, leaving him alone once more.

Tsuna sighed, getting tired of waiting. Several more minutes passed before Marie poked her head out of the door and invited him in.

Tsuna gulped suddenly feeling anxious and entered. He stiffened when he saw the leader of the family. Trux was just as frightening as he was when he had first met him. His dark half-shaven hair had grown slightly from the last time he saw him. He wore a red long-sleeved button down shirt, effectively hiding the various tattoos on his arms. His dark piercing eyes made him choke on his saliva and the multiple piercings on his face only exaggerated to his scary features.

Ruairi was standing idly by the desk arms crossed, Marie stood by the alcoholic bottles in a cabinet off to the side, and Trux sat behind his desk with his hands crossed together sitting at his desk.

"So you want to become a member of the family," The boss started, enjoying the way he fidgeted under his gaze.

"Y-yes, sir."

"What makes you think I'll accept you fully when you're so pathetic you can't even run a mile in less than 10 minutes?"

"I-I'll get better. I've done all of the jobs you've assigned to me," Tsuna said confidently, "I've completed all of them without any problem."

"Those were easy jobs. Anyone could have done them."

"Then let me prove to you that I can do more," Tsuna said with conviction.

Trux raised an eyebrow and smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Alright, I'll really give it to you. This next job will either make or break you."

Tsuna gulped but stood straight, his conviction strong.

"Marie, _Tsuna_ , here will be joining you tonight," The boss said his name in teasing way.

Marie smiled, reassuringly at him, "Don't worry, you'll do fine. You'll be my little helper." Tsuna returned a small smile.

"Don't be misinformed," Ruairi had a cruel smile on his face, "You'll only be going so that if you both get caught, Marie will use you as bait and you'll be killed while she escapes."

"Hiieee! What? It's a dangerous mission?" He shrieked and Marie giggled. ' _She isn't denying it either!'_

"Don't complain," Trux snapped. "This is what you wanted. Now listen up, this will be your side of the plan..."

* * *

Ten hours later, Tsuna and Marie were parked in an unlicensed van a block away from the building. Marie and Ruairi had spent most of the day teaching him more self-defence and what the download should look like so he'd have less of a chance of messing up.

The plan? Infiltrate an undercover Vongola business, import architectural data of all Vongola business and houses, and import all data of member profiles including name, occupation, and schedules and get out.

Marie was going to set up the dowloads (since Tsuna wasn't very good on computers), then take out any Vongola members unfortunate enough to find them. Tsuna was to make sure the downloads went smoothly and be ready-to-use bait. He really didn't feel cut out for the job.

Since cameras were going to be everywhere, he and Marie wore all black with masks covering their faces. Marie wore a fox mask while he wore a sheep mask. He honestly felt like a ninja.

Tsuna followed Marie to the side of the two-story building and watched in wonder as she easily jumped from a dumpster to the escape ladder and unlatched it. It crashed loudly and his heart pounded at the thought of being caught. By the time he made it up, the dark green haired woman had already broken a window and was climbing inside the building.

They were now inside an office room with a computer on a desk, a couch and other such things. Marie quietly stepped to the door and beckoned him. No one was outside the door and she quickly led them to a room across the nicely decorated hall. She made quick work of the knob and opened and shut it in seconds.

It was empty of people and looked similar to the room they had entered in. Their eyes landed on the computer on top of the desk near the back of the room.

Marie rushed to it and began typing and clicking rapidly. Tsuna stayed at the door, nervously glancing at it and Marie. It felt like half an hour had passed when Marie finally announced she had found what they were looking for. Just then, three suited men walked into the room.

Tsuna's heart stopped for a second and his eyes widened. "Marie," He hissed in alarm.

"Hey!"

Marie shot towards them with lightning speed and the men jumped back out the door. Tsuna backed away and he heard grunts and smacks and poked his head through the door. Marie stood above all three men who were passed out on the floor in heaps. She stood casually above them, spinning a black and green nunchuck in her hand. He gaped.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow, smirking knowingly.

"Intruders!"

The two snapped their heads at the direction of the yell. They could see the back of a man's head as he ran down the flight of stairs.

"I'll go take care of them," Marie ran after the man, "You make sure we get those downloads!"

Tsuna nodded, stomach churning from the anxiety. A cold sweat engulfed his body while he sat on the desk chair, wide eyes staring at the screen before him. After what seemed like hours, the downloads were complete and he jumped into action. He quickly ejected the USB and tucked it safely into his front pant pocket.

He rushed down the hall, his eyes glued to the downstairs. He was so focused on reaching Marie he didn't notice a door to his right open until he heard something that chilled him to his core.

"What do you think you are doing, herbivore?" The familiar voice and phrase paralyzed him and he stumbled to a still. A violent shiver ran down his body and his breath hitched. He didn't need to turn around to know it was his school's terrifying ex-prefect leader, Hibari Kyoya.

 _'Hibari-san? What is he doing here?!_ ' Tsuna knew he was in deep shit. Though it has been years since he last saw the older male, his body has yet to forget the pain that usually accompanied the man.

Hibari growled at the lack of response and the familiar sound of metal and cloth rubbing against each other echoed in the silent hall, "I'll bite you to death."

And with that, Tsuna ran for his life. ' _Hibari-san hasn't changed at all! Focus! Focus!'_

He focused on the sounds of the ex-prefect's footsteps and listened carefully for any changes any movement. _'There!'_ He leaped to the right, narrowly missing a blow from the ever familiar tonfa. Years of running from bullies and the prefect squad made him very adapt to avoiding confrontations. Dodging attacks were his only skill though he never had enough stamina to fully get away safely. He needed Marie's help though he wasn't sure if she could handle the man.

He continued leaping and dodging away from Hibari's attacks while making his way to where he could hear Marie attacking the other Vongola members. His chest heaved and he could feel his horrible stamina deplete rapidly and soon after was struck down.

He couldn't regain his bearing before Hibari struck his side hard and curled up, moaning on the floor. Hibari had definitely gotten stronger since high school.

"I'll ask again, herbivore," His deep voice sent another chill down his body, "Fail to answer and I'll kill you. What are you doing here?"

"Get off him you freak!"

Tsuna lifted his head to see Marie throwing a knife at the man but Hibari being himself easily deflected the knife with a tonfa, never batting an eye.

The dark haired man frowned and faced her, completely ignoring him now. Marie stood tall, unafraid of the demon that stood before her, spinning a nunchuck in each hand.

She charged and the two met blow for blow. Tsuna gaped when she wasn't easily beaten down within the first five strikes. No one had ever been able to deflect Hibari's strikes for that long before.

"What are you waiting for? Get out!" Marie hissed at him, placing herself in front of him. Tsuna snapped out of his stupor and scrambled to his feet.

"Don't move!" Hibari snapped at him, though a smirk played on his lips. Hibari always did enjoy a challenge. Tsuna glanced back worriedly at Marie. Would she truly be able to beat Hibari? He had always been feared and revered as a cruel god by every student back in the day. But what could he do? He couldn't fight.

He made it to the front hall and saw several beaten Vongola members laying motionless on the ground. Marie certainly knew how to fight but she was up against _Hibari Kyoya_. The man was three higher levels than a normal human.

He paused when he placed a hand on the glass entrance door. He could hear the echoes of the two fighting and a strangled cry from Marie made him gasp. ' _I need to go back. I can't just abandon Marie. I can't run. Not anymore. I need to be a man.'_

Marie's body was suddenly thrown into the hall and she tumbled for several feet. He ran to her body, worriedly calling out to her.

"Stop!" She groaned slowly, getting on her feet, "Get to the car and leave. That's an order!"

Hibari calmly walked towards them looking stern and uninterested. Marie appeared rustled and tired while Hibari barely had a scratch on him and his hair was still neat against his head.

"I thought you would have been more of a challenge but you're just another common herbivore," He tisk'ed bored.

Marie growled at the insult and steeled her body once again. She rose and snapped her nunchucks together to form a bo staff. A green spark crackled throughout the staff and she laughed lowly, "Try me again now, _herbivore_."

Hibari smirked wildly from taunt and lunged, the sounds of metal striking metal stinging everyone's ears. Marie was amazing and now equipped with the bo staff, she had a better chance to deflect Hibari's attacks.

"Go! Stupid!" Marie yelled at him again and that moment of distraction was all Hibaru needed to give a swift blow to her head and she stumbled to the ground. She didn't get back up. She lay still on the ground.

Tsuna stood stunned. Marie was his only line of defense and now he was alone with Hibari. He couldn't escape with Marie alone in enemy territory either. Especially with Hibari around.

"Stop right there!" He yelled and ran in front of Marie's prone body. His eyes narrowed at the ex-prefect and he was frightened but he wouldn't allow Hibari to continue harming Marie. Hibari raised a brow at his actions. He took a step forward and Tsuna raised his fists in the same way Ryohei and Ruairi-san had taught him.

Hibari chuckled amused, "You should quit now and stop resisting, you'll only get me angry."

"I won't allow you to continue hurting my friend."

"Heh. I'll make this quick."

The familiar feeling of a tonfa striking his gut had him reeling before he could blink. Another struck him under the chin in an uppercut style. And then another struck his side.

He fell to his knees after the seventh strike. He wanted to lead Hibari away from Marie for now and now that they were a good distance away he could put some of his training to use. He stood back up, ignoring the searing pain pulsing throughout his body and raised his fists once again.

Hibari no longer held a smirk on his face and he looked annoyed, "I'm bored now. This is the most disappointing fight I've had all year."

He ran forwards and Tsuna waited for the perfect moment. Hibari lifted his tonfa and-

He caught it.

Tsuna and his opponent exchanged glances.

"Wao."

Hibari struck with his second tonfa effectively enabling his other arm again. The taller male swiped again but Tsuna anticipated the move, dodging to the side, grabbing the tonfa again and landing a swift blow to Hibari's cheek.

Time seemingly came to a stop. Tsuna felt shocked and pride and fear and excitement all at once. His pulsing fist was still connected to Hibari's turned face. The man turned to him slowly and if looks could kill... Tsuna gulped at the sight of the most menacing glare he'd ever seen. He took a step back, releasing him. Tsuna took a step back, wanting to get away from the murderous glare.

 _'Shit! What was I thinking?! I can't win a fight against the Hibari Kyoya! You idiot!'_ He thought to himself, feeling a cold sweat wash over his body again.

Hibari took another step then - a flash of green and a loud bang. Tsuna blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what just happened. Hibari's eyes were wide and his mouth was gaped open. He dropped to his knees and Tsuna shrieked and backed away. But Hibari landed on the floor, twitching occasionally. A bead of sweat ran down his jaw and he looked to see Marie holding her staff, still crackling with green electricity.

"Let's go," She gasped, "Before he recovers."

Tsuna nodded and immediately rushed to her side. He placed her arm over his shoulder and led her outside. They made it down the street and into the alley where she parked the car. She collapsed the staff to convert it back to her two nunchucks before she got in the driver's seat.

"What did you do to him?" He couldn't help but ask. Where did that electricity come from?

Marie smirked at him, her nose high in the air, "Just struck a little birdie down with a bolt of lightning."

"How did you make it come out of your nunchucks?" He asked.

"That's a story for another day," She said and started the car.

* * *

Half an hour later, Marie had dropped him off in front of his apartment, telling him not to go to the hospital. Tsuna was dissatisfied with the order but agreed, what else could he do? She thanked him for his work and drove off with the USB.

As soon as he opened his front door, all his wounds pulsed at once making him gasp. He staggered to his medicine box he kept in his closet, each step bringing a sharp pain with it then walked to his bathroom.

He prepared a hot bath and peeled off his clothes gingerly one by one. He took extra care washing himself and once inside the tub he sighed contently. The water felt amazing against his aching body. The waters ripples made soothing noises and he sunk deeper into the tub so only the top half of his face was dry.

What was Hibari doing in that place? It was a Vongola owned building they attacked, wasn't it? Did that make Hibari his enemy? Though he really didn't consider himself to be a member by choice to the Pravus family but did that matter? He was working for them and helping them advance. He thought back to his fight with Hibari and how... _vulnerable_ Hibari looked by the end of it.

 _Vulnerable._

That was a word he thought would never be used to describe the scariest and most ruthless student to ever attend Namimori Middle and High School. Hibari terrified every student but he wasn't evil just... unfair and he only punished those broke the school's rules. Since being late and crowding was classified as against school rules, Tsuna often found himself at the end of a tonfa.

But... sometimes... whenever he was in trouble, Hibari would come to rescue him in his time of need, dealing with his bullies and allowing him to escape. In fact, Hibari had mostly helped him for the seven years they'd known each other. They weren't friends but Tsuna could always count on Hibari to save him. His heart clenched and he groaned lowly at his luck and blew bubbles in his bath water.

He stayed in the tub for a while longer then got out once his fingers pruned. He glanced at his kitchen. He wasn't hungry.

He felt awful. Guilty. Horrible. Worthless.

He went to his room, grabbed his phone, unrolled his futon and gingerly laid in.

Tsuna stared blankly at his ceiling. Darkness and silence. Just like always.

...

It was getting harder. He felt pricks stinging at his eyes and he bit his lip. Returning home to nothing and no one was becoming unbearable at this point. Loneliness was something he was accustomed to but now... now he wasn't sure how long he continue living like this. He was in debt, in danger of eviction, and rarely had enough money to live comfortably.

His job, Ruairi-san, and Marie were the only human contact he had. And he was on the chopping block for one and the others were just using him for their own gains.

No one wanted to be friends with Useless-Tsuna after all. Tsuna closed his eyes, feeling two tears roll down his cheeks.

An image of a young man with smokey gray hair appeared in his mind.

 _'Gokudera-kun.'_

He sat up and wiped his eyes. He navigated to his contacts on his phone and hovered over the newest number on his phone. He had four now. His mom, his job, Ruari-san, and now Gokudera.

He gulped suddenly feeling nervous. It was almost 11 pm. Would he still be awake? Should he would until the morning to send a message?

Tsuna gripped his phone harder, his heart pounding. Why was this so hard?

 _'Are you alright?'_

 _'How are your wounds?'_

 _'What's up?'_

 _'Yo.'_

No, no, no, no. Tsuna buried his face in his pillow. It all sounded so wrong. He's never sent a friendly greeting before. Not even to Ruairi-san.

Tsuna's heart raced and his fingers glided over the digital keyboard before pressing send. His first attempt at making a friend. He suddenly felt giddy and he smiled widely, laughing as he reread the message over and over again.

He rubbed his nose and felt wetness on his cheeks. He was crying. He scrubbed them off his face and took deep breaths to calm himself. He reread the message once more and fell into a comfortable sleep for the first time in a long time.

* * *

 **Comments:** **This chapter was really fun to write. Hibari is the most badass character, I swear. He comes on screen and you know the opposite party is doomed. What did the message say? Find out in the next chapter. What's the next chapter about? Family. :)**

 **In real life news:** **I just found out I'll probably have to euthanize my pet pigeon, Chamoy. She's the cutest thing but if she doesn't get better, keeping her alive would be considered cruel. I don't want to be without her but if you love something you have to let it go, right? I've never euthanized a pet before. "All your pet's life, you train it to stay and when they're on their death bed all they ask is for you to stay." - Quote from someone on the internet.**

 **In fanfiction news:** **A new story called "House of Free Will" will be uploaded around the 15th of October. It will be a type of Choose Your Own Adventure starring Tsuna. It's going to be a horror story and you will have to choose paths for Tsuna to take. Choose the wrong paths to make his life a living hell or choose the right paths to help him make it out alive. I'm having a fun time creating the different paths and the most fun path has got to be the "On the Way to Hell" path. Why? Well, you'll just have to read it when it's uploaded. (Titles are subject to change.)**


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